Board Member

JERALD A. KESSLER, J.D.

Address:

Offices in Northfield, Libertyville and the Loop.

Phone:

847) 367-4500

Website:

www.kessleroffice.com

E-mail:

jakessler@igc.org

Biography:

Jerald Kessler is an accomplished mediator with over 22 years of mediation experience. He has mediated over 1500 cases and has taught conflict resolution at the college, graduate and law school levels. He has presented at numerous bar association seminars as well as professional mediation conferences at the state and national level. Mr. Kessler is a former president of the Mediation Council of Illinois.

Mr. Kessler has extensive training in conflict resolution having gone through numerous advanced mediation and collaborative law trainings. He is the convener of a monthly case consultation group for other experienced professionals and mentors new mediators. He is frequently sought by attorneys to represent children in divorce in order to utilize his conflict resolution skills and knowledge of the impact of divorce on children.

In addition to seminars on divorce and child representation, Mr. Kessler routinely augments his background by attending workshops offered for mental health professionals. Although he does not serve as a counselor, in order to better serve the families he works with, he also obtained formal training in family systems and obtained a certificate in couples counseling from the Chicago Center for Family Health.

Mr. Kessler is a founder of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois. He has over 30 years of experience representing people going through divorce.

Mr. Kessler believes that divorce is largely problem solving, often involving very few “legal” issues. “The challenge of divorce is that the problem solving takes place at a very difficult time for people. It is the job of the professionals to make the problem solving manageable and productive. The final product should be an agreement that is durable and equitable.”

Mr. Kessler obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Chicago.